#9 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2026

"This is alluring, with a core of warmed black cherry and plum sauce flavors laced with fragrant accents of cinnamon, violet, licorice, dried mint and bay leaf. There’s a suave feel to this red, which effortlessly enmeshes a firm core of fine-grained tannins with a plush texture and fresh focus. Expands beautifully on the palate, revealing additional details of espresso, smoked paprika and mineral that linger on the finish. Drink now through 2040." —Wine Spectator

"The 2022 Alión comes from a year they considered to be a challenge; it was warm and dry and ripeness didn't follow the usual pattern: late vineyards ripened earlier and early vineyards took longer this year. Their obsession was to keep the freshness in the wine, so they did a softer vinification and employed more careful use of oak, using larger volumes and other materials like concrete to tame a powerful and solar vintage. The nose is serious and even has some austerity. The wine is obviously juicier and rounder, with 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.89 and 4.58 grams of acidity, but it has very good balance overall. The tannins are round, polished and slightly dustier than other vintages, and the wine has a tender mouthfeel. A total of 270,870 bottles, 7,040 magnums and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled in May 2024 and released in 2026." —Wine Advocate

"This 2022 is a project of Vega Sicilia in which it buys grapes, working closely with parcels across the appellation and aging in cement, separating the vineyards for fermentation and then blending together to age 12 months in barrel, cement, and foudres, with another 18 months in bottle. Full-bodied, it’s textured in grainy tannins with ripe red and black fruit, long and strong on the palate, with grip and corresponding lift, a balanced, sophisticated, and powerful wine. Drink now through 2036." —Jeb Dunnuck